Christmas Rice Recipe
Christmas rice is a festive rice dish served in Trinidad and Tobago during the holidays, made with rice, ham, colorful vegetables, dried fruit, and olives. It’s colorful, flavorful, and full of festive vibes. This is the fancy dish; the rice that came dressed for the party.
In the Caribbean, we love a good rice dish, and this one is made for the holiday table. The combination of savory ham, colorful vegetables, sweet dried fruit, and olives gives you a little bit of everything. Think of it as the dressed-up cousin of my calypso rice recipe.
How to make Christmas rice
Ingredients
The ingredients for Christmas rice are pretty simple, but together they give the dish its mix of savory, sweet, and salty flavors.
Here are a few ingredient notes:
- Long-grain rice: I use long-grain rice because it holds up well when mixed with the other ingredients without getting too soft.
- Coconut oil: This adds extra flavor to the rice, but you can use another neutral cooking oil if needed.
- Black olives: The olives add a salty bite that balances the sweetness from the raisins and cranberries.
- Diced ham: You can use packaged cubed ham or chop up leftover Christmas ham. If you don’t eat pork, turkey works well too.
- Sweet peppers: Use bright colors such as red, orange, or yellow to give the rice that festive look.
Instructions
Have everything chopped and ready before you start cooking. Most of the work for this recipe is in the prep, and once you get to the stove, it comes together pretty quickly.
- Cook the rice in a pot of water until tender. Drain well and set aside. You can also use 2 cups of previously cooked rice.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of the coconut oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, celery, bell peppers, and ginger. Sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add the grated carrot and cook for about 2 minutes. This helps cook off some of the extra moisture from the grated carrot.
- Add the cubed ham and cook until heated through.
- Add the cooked rice, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Toss everything together until well combined and heated through. Taste and add more soy sauce as needed.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins, cranberries, and black olives.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Serving suggestions
Christmas rice is made for a holiday spread. Serve it alongside Christmas ham, roasted chicken, stew lamb, or roasted fish. It also goes well with other Trinidad Christmas favorites like pastelles when you’re putting together a full holiday meal.
Storage and reheating
Store leftover Christmas rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, place the rice in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 45-second intervals until warmed through. If the rice seems a little dry, add a small splash of water before reheating.
You can also freeze Christmas rice in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it in the microwave until hot.
Variations and substitutions
Christmas rice is easy to adjust depending on what you have or what your family likes. Just keep the mix of colors and that sweet and savory balance that makes the dish work.
- Oil: If you don’t have coconut oil, use another neutral cooking oil.
- Ham: Turkey is an easy substitute if you don’t eat pork or don’t have ham.
- Rice: Another long-grain rice, such as basmati or jasmine, can be used. Just cook it according to the package directions before adding it to the dish.
- Vegetables: Green peas or sweet corn can be added for even more color.
- Food coloring: Some people color portions of the cooked rice red or green before mixing everything to give the dish an even more festive Christmas look.
- Herbs: Add chadon beni along with the parsley, or use it instead.
- Heat: Add a whole hot pepper while sautéing the vegetables if you want some pepper flavor and heat.
- Nuts: Cashews or almonds can add a little crunch if you like.
More rice recipes
If you’re looking for more Caribbean rice dishes to add to your menu, try:
Recipe
Christmas Rice
Ingredients
Method
- If using uncooked rice, boil the rice in water until tender. Drain well and set aside. You should have about 2 cups of cooked rice.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of the coconut oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, celery, bell peppers, and ginger. Sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add the grated carrot and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the ham and cook until heated through.
- Add the cooked rice, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, the salt, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Toss until everything is well combined and heated through. Taste and add more soy sauce as needed.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins, cranberries, and black olives.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Nutrition
Recipe Printed From ThisBagoGirl.com
